The Sand Castle

A hopeless romantic dreamer, someone immature, lacking substance and depth can be idiomatically described as a person building sandcastles. Don’t you agree that there is something irresistibly childish and naive in this type of pastime? Even the two main substances needed to make a sandcastle – sand and water – are suggestive of a fragility and transience of the end product. A typical sandcastle resembles a miniature sand sculpture of a building or a medieval castle of various complexity and size. Children are not the only ones who adore playing with the sand: sometimes adults will also engage in sand sculpture contests which are usually not limited to building sandcastles alone. Shapeless heaps of sand are used to create spectacular works of art completed with nothing but sand, water, and lots of imagination. Sometimes at the end of the contest a solution of school glue and water is sprayed onto the sculptures to prolong their life for the grateful viewers.

Various types of town fortifications have been known since ancient times, but the early castle similar to that in the picture is characteristic of a fortified dwelling typical of the Middle Ages. Since the 9th century A.C. these buildings had been used as both military fortresses and private residences for feudal lords. The site for a castle was normally chosen out of inaccessibility considerations, the Rhine Valley in Germany being an excellent example of a good spot for a castle because of its heights. Most castles followed certain standards of design and construction. The main commanding tower – the keep, or donjon – was central and crucial to a castle. It was usually contained within one or several sets of walls which in their turn created inner and outer courts – baileys. There was also used a concentric plan for building later castles. The keep was particularly protected by two heavily towered walls which formed rings around it.

Only idealistic artists, poets, and musicians are engaged in building the cloud or sand castles. The two physique materials needed to make them – sand and water – air and vapour - are suggestive of an instability, confusion, and evanescence of the castle existence.2010 June. "Dehydration , The Sand Castle, The Flying Dutchman, " works published in, "Science Geeks" magazine, South Korea.

Artwork has 8 comments Your opinion is important, please be considered while expressing your view. We have zero tolerance to profane and curse language.

John Reilly / Jan 7thPlease email me as to the availability of the original painting and or prints of your Sand
Castle art work.

Kyle / Mar 1stI am conceptualizing the look for my second novel, "Castle" and I was just wondering if I
could use the graphic titled "The Sand Castle" as the cover art? I would obviously claim
no rights to it, and you would be credited. I just love it so much!

Melissa / United States / Dec 28thDear Mr. Grie, Thank you so much for your permission to use the three artworks at low
resolution, which we will be using them at this time for our website. My sincere thank you
again for your amazing works of art!